Maplewood station coffee stand feud nears end

MAPLEWOOD -- A dispute between the operator of the Heavenly Scent Café at the Maplewood train station and the purveyor of concierge services at the depot could be settled in the coming days.

The protracted legal skirmish between Art Christensen, the chairman of the Maplewood Concierge Co., and Joyce Reynolds, who runs the coffee stand, appears on the verge of a settlement agreement, according to both sides. Both Christensen and Reynolds' attorneys said they expect to issue a joint statement outlining the agreement by next week.

While he said he could not divulge details of the anticipated agreement, Christensen intimated that Reynolds, with whom he has tussled since 2008 over the cafe's role at the station, would continue to operate there.

"We would never want to get rid of Joyce," Christensen said Monday. "We are more or less in agreement."

The dispute first centered on Reynolds' claim to remain at station after her last lease with the concierge company ran out. Although that issue was settled on her behalf in July, the Maplewood Concierge Co. also began serving coffee, tea and breakfast pastries inside the station.

According to Reynolds' attorney, Diane O'Connell, a non-compete clause in her lease specified that a competing business can't operate at the same time that Heavenly Scent is open, which is generally mornings.

While a resolution had been expected on Jan. 22, the chancery court judge hearing the case encouraged the parties to continue to try and settle their disagreement.

"There's not a lot to say yet, because we're in the middle of negotiations," O'Connell said, adding that she anticipates a resolution by early next week at the latest.

The concierge company, thought to be the first such service in the state, itself leases space at the station from New Jersey Transit. The company offers services such as dry cleaning, food shopping and car inspections. Roughly 3,000 commuters pass through the station daily.

"My primary concern is that we are able to give service to commuters," Christensen said. "That's my only horse in this race."